


Out of the Mouth of Babes

by Antiquity



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Growing Up, Humor, Implied Relationships, Slice of Life, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 01:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7737937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiquity/pseuds/Antiquity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beast Boy doesn’t mind that he’s the youngest member of the Team, but even though he has superpowers, sometimes being the youngest member is just annoying. Take this morning - Nightwing, their kickass, badass leader, has some bruises on his neck and no-one will tell him why the Team pretty much loses their minds. </p>
<p>Honestly. Beast Boy's not a kid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Mouth of Babes

**Author's Note:**

> Here, have some unrepentant team fluff! Beast Boy is adorable, and I couldn't resist. 
> 
> I've hopefully written this in such a way that you can choose/imagine Nightwing's paramour as whoever you'd like. I definitely have my own view, but read it however you want :) Also, Artemis and Dick = best BrOTP. Enjoy!

Beast Boy doesn’t mind that he’s the youngest member of the Team: it seems like home, that way, and here he has a family again. He’s not the youngest person to become a hero – that honour goes to the bestest, most coolest person ever, besides his sister of course, Robin, or, as he’s known now, Nightwing. Garfield has heard his real name before, from Impulse’s motor mouth, but Nightwing and then a few months later Batman had sat him down and told him why it’s so important that the Bat-family’s identities are kept secret. Garfield doesn’t really have a secret identity because he’s kind of _green_ , but after the Reach and stuff he understands why some names are safest hidden. 

 

So Nightwing is Nightwing, and he’s the best leader and big brother anyone could have: he’s a little – actually a lot – scary sometimes but kind and understanding and so clever it makes Garfield’s brain hurt and he’s funny and protective and Garfield gets that bird jokes are kinda old but the younger members all feel like they’ve been taken under his wing at some point and he knows Robin practically idolises him. So he definitely should have the honour of being the first sidekick. At least, Garfield thinks it should be an honour, because even though people freak out over how young he is, and he knows the former Robin got that a lot too, it’s still so amazing that Nightwing became such a great hero so young. He was the first sidekick! He totally paved the way for all the others assembled here in one of the briefing rooms of the Watchtower, and they’re on the _Watchtower_! With the Justice League! Garfield is just so glad that Nightwing’s back now, and Kaldur too, and that Artemis – Tigress – isn’t dead even though he still misses Wally a year later and that Aqualad isn’t a traitor, and that Nightwing and Aqualad are leading the Team together as they kick some bad guy butt! 

 

Where’s he going with this?

 

Oh yeah, the youngest on the Team thing. 

 

Somehow it’s a bit different to Nightwing’s case, because Beast Boy has powers, and though he’s among the first to defend his human friends – like seriously, non-powered heroes like Nightwing, Robin, Batman, Batgirl, Tigress, and Guardian are so badass and heroic and awesome – he knows that they face dangers he and Sis and Superboy and Kid Flash and the others don’t. 

 

Wait, he has a point... 

 

Oh, right! 

 

Even though he has superpowers, sometimes being the youngest member of the Team is just annoying. 

 

Take this morning. 

 

They’re on the Watchtower for a mission briefing and for a chance to catch up with each other after about five days without a mission, and the whole Team minus Nightwing is just sitting around, waiting. Black Canary and Green Arrow are here too, talking to Tigress and Wonder Girl as the zeta tube finally announces their co-leader. 

 

“ _Recognise Nightwing, B01_.”

 

“Sorry I’m late,” he says, striding forward, “Gotham’s traffic is still bad after the Penguin tried to take over the electrical grid.”

 

“ _Recognise Batman, 02_ ,” the computer says, but Beast Boy doesn’t pay attention to it as he leaps up from playing on Robin’s phone and bounds excitedly over to Nightwing. 

 

“Nightwing, Nightwing, you’ll never guess what M’gann and I did yesterday, it was so cool, we went and –” he skids to a halt in front of their leader, but cuts himself off, staring anxiously up at a smiling Nightwing. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” he asks frantically, grabbing at Nightwing’s arm as he peers up at his leader’s throat. “There are bruises on your neck, did you get into a fight?” 

 

Here comes the confusing part, and it’s so annoying being the youngest on the Team because no one will explain what happens! Sis just says she’ll tell him when he’s older, which immediately makes Garfield suspicious because she only says that when it’s something weird that grown-ups do, and the others get all uncomfortable and giggly when he asks about it. What happens is the entire Team stares as Nightwing – Nightwing, their calculating, cool, kickass leader – blushes bright red and slaps a hand to his neck, as if he’s trying to cover up the marks. 

 

Tigress lets out a noise Garfield is pretty sure even he couldn’t make in his cat shape and lunges forward, Aqualad chokes on his sip of water, Guardian and Lagoon Boy burst into loud guffaws, Bumblebee wolf-whistles, Robin groans and hides his face in his hands, and Black Canary just sighs. 

 

“Oh _no_ –!” Nightwing goes from standing stock still and blushing as red as his old uniform to sprinting down the nearest corridor, just dodging Tigress’ outstretched hand, fast enough that even Kid Flash lets out an impressed whistle as the after-image fades. 

 

“Get back here!” Tigress yells in glee, and tears after him, a look that Wally used to call a shit-eating grin before Sis shushed him about using language in front of Garfield – like his mum never hit her fingers with a hammer, geez – plastered across her face. 

 

Somewhere behind him, Green Arrow mutters, “Bad traffic, is that what kids these days are calling it?”

 

“Arrow,” growls Batman, and Garfield is officially, completely and utterly lost. 

 

“What did I do?” He squeaks, scampering over to his sister, who looks torn between amusement, mild concern and embarrassment. “What was that about? Was Nightwing actually hurt? Why did he blush – I’ve never seen him blush, Robin, does he even blush?” Garfield tugs at his hair, beyond confused, and wails, “What just happened?” 

 

Most of the Team are still laughing, with a few of the girls giggling and whispering eagerly to each other, and Garfield would really like his brain back now, please. 

 

Distantly they hear Nightwing yell, “Leave me alone, harpy!” and Tigress shout, “Not until you tell me, you troll!” and then the two pelt back into the briefing room from a side corridor, Nightwing just barely in the lead as he skids helter-skelter around the corner, and make straight for the zeta tubes. Tigress pounces on him just as the energy begins to glow, triumphant, and with a last, “Got you –!” they disappear down to the earth below. 

 

“ _Recognise Nightwing, B01; Tigress, B06_.”

 

The computer’s robotic voice is the only normal thing about this whole situation, and Garfield, sure there’s smoke pouring out of his ears as his brain just gives up, screeches in bewilderment and flops into M’gann’s lap. She pets his hair, giggling. “I’ll explain it when you’re older,” she says, and Garfield pouts up at her. 

 

“But I want to know now!”

 

In the background he can hear Lagoon Boy mutter something like, _Glad to see someone’s getting some_ , and then Bumblebee whispers, _He deserves to have some fun!_  to a giggling Wonder Girl while Robin clamps his hands over his ears. 

 

“Don’t talk about my brother that way,” he groans, shaking his head, and wow, he’s never seen Robin this flustered. Garfield’s curiosity ramps up a notch. 

 

“Why? What does it mean?” he asks, bouncing on his toes. 

 

“I believe we should get on with business,” Aqualad raises his voice over the hubbub, “and brief Nightwing and Tigress when they return.” 

 

“Wait, we’re just trying to work out who it is!” Wonder Girl says, and then Batman emerges from the shadows to glare at them all. Immediately the chatter ceases, and Wonder Girl gulps. 

 

“Enough,” he growls. “Nightwing’s private life is just that, and you will all abide by it. While the Team is permitted a certain amount of levity, I expect professionalism from every single one of you the instant you step on the Watchtower, is that understood?”

 

Feet shuffle and throats are sheepishly cleared, and Beast Boy manages, “Noted,” from behind M’gann’s cape. 

 

But although he is always impressed and awed and terrified by Batman he can’t quite get the image of a blushing Nightwing out of his mind as Aqualad begins to go over their last few missions with the League members. 

 

Right, that’s it: he’ll get some answers one way or another. Being the youngest sometimes sucks.

 

* * *

 

In the end, Garfield gets his answers, and promptly wishes he hasn’t. Two days of pouncing on various Team members hasn’t shed any light on the subject, and Nightwing has been conveniently absent working a case with the Bat-family in Gotham, so he zetas to the Watchtower and knocks a little nervously on Black Canary’s office door.

 

He hurries out of the office five minutes later, blushing as green as Nightwing was red, Canary’s voice in his ears. _They were something called love-bites, Beast Boy, or hickeys. People in a romantic relationship sometimes go a little beyond kissing_. 

 

Uhhhhhhhhh he did not need to know that! Biting people is rude and painful! He doesn’t understand why Canary hid a smile behind her hand when he said that, but it’s probably some grown-up thing like this whole awkward mess that he’ll understand when he’s older. 

 

Beast Boy shudders. He’d like to stay young for as long as possible in that case, thank you very much!

 

But a thought strikes him on his way to the zeta tube that makes him stumble to a revelatory halt and almost understand the rest of the Team’s reaction: if those...marks are from a relationship that has kissing in it, who on earth has Nightwing been kissing? Who’s been kissing him?

 

Garfield flicks his tail about, and very quickly comes to the conclusion that the less he knows about it the happier he’ll be. He nods decisively, pulls the lollipop Black Canary gave him with a warm, sympathetic smile out of his pocket, pops it into his mouth, and zetas out to Chicago to stop by Uncle J’onn’s apartment with a carefree grin.

 

“ _Recognise Beast Boy, B19_.”


End file.
